Mount Blue Sky Scenic Drive & St Mary's Glacier Hike | The Perfect Dog Friendly Colorado Day Trip

We hiked a snowfield in June, then drove to the summit of a fourteener that same afternoon. This is our St. Mary's Glacier and Mount Blue Sky day trip, two of Colorado's most iconic Front Range spots, done back to back in a single day near Idaho Springs. We start the morning at St. Mary's Glacier with a short, rocky hike up to a glacial lake and a permanent snowfield that holds snow year round. Then we built a midday buffer in Idaho Springs for lunch and thrifting, which turned out to be the smartest part of the whole plan. By one o'clock we're headed up the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, the highest paved road in North America, for our timed entry reservation and a walk to the true summit at 14,264 feet. If you're planning your own Front Range day trip, subscribe and hit the 🔔 so you don't miss the next one: https://gqr.sh/GEgm 📖 Read the full St. Mary's Glacier guide on the blog: https://throughhereyestravel.com/2026... 🏔️ Read the full Mount Blue Sky guide on the blog: https://throughhereyestravel.com/2026... Want the PDF Guide: https://through-her-eyes-travel.kit.c... 🐾 Traveling with a dog? Read our Pet Travel Gear for Tira guide: https://throughhereyestravel.com/pet-... 🎒 GEAR AND LINKS MENTIONED: Salomon Women's X Ultra 5 GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes: https://tr.ee/3NyA4W Salamon XT-6 Sneaker: https://tr.ee/MkUVMf Arc'teryx Insulated Vest: https://tr.ee/N1hdun Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket Women's: https://tr.ee/si1QFo Arc'teryx Men's Beta SL Jacket: https://tr.ee/C5jkFr Arc'teryx Gamma AR Pant Men's: https://tr.ee/ZpNVwF Cotopaxi Bataan Del Dia Fanny Pack: https://tr.ee/SFmIJ4 Cotopaxi Elqui 18 L Del Dia Pack: https://tr.ee/GWLOb3 Life is Good Hat: https://tr.ee/9BHlxn Owala water bottle: https://amzn.to/4lvNc2S 🥾Everything we pack for a hike like this: https://throughhereyestravel.com/hiki... 🏨Need accommodation nearby: https://tr.ee/oe19uw 🔔Subscribe so you never miss a new adventure: https://gqr.sh/GEgm CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 0:33 St. Mary's Glacier trailhead and parking 1:04 Silver Lake and the hike up 2:15 The lake and the snowfield 3:27 Heading out & Silver Creek Falls roadside stop 3:47 Lunch and thrifting in Idaho Springs 4:35 Driving the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway 5:36 Summit Lake and Chicago Lakes Overlook 6:38 Wildlife Alongside the road 6:52 Mount Blue Sky Interpretive Site 7:22 Short hike to true summit at 14,264 feet 9:22 Reflective Moment at Summit 10:29 Recap & Advice for visiting Mount Blue Sky 11:17 Drive back 11:48 Final thoughts PLACES AND BOOKING LINKS: 🅿️ St. Mary's Glacier parking info: https://www.stmaryspoa.com/visitors 🏔️ Mount Blue Sky timed entry reservations: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entr... TIRA'S GEAR: 🐾 Collapsible dog bowl: https://amzn.to/4cPuIYU 🐾 Dog water bottle with food container: https://amzn.to/4lxIiCo 🐾 Full pet travel gear list: https://throughhereyestravel.com/pet-... WHAT WE SHOT THIS ON: 📷 Fujifilm X-T50: https://amzn.to/45qfGDM 📱Iphone 17 Pro, Phone case: https://tr.ee/LPXuS5 STAY CONNECTED: Instagram:   / throughhereyestravel   Pinterest:   / throughhereyestravel   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Blog: https://throughhereyestravel.com #ColoradoRoadTrip #MountBlueSky #StMarysGlacier #FrontRange #DogFriendlyTravel #IdahoSprings #ColoradoHiking #14er #ThroughHerEyesTravel Disclaimer: This description contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our adventures with Tira!